Iain Churches wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote
Keith G wrote:
OK, thanks for all the interesting and helpful replies - it's put
ribbons nicely into perspective for me. My own ribbon mic is an 'active'
and uses 48V phantom power; I won't be using it out of doors and I
certainly won't be using it with a kick drum!

As with any mic it *could* be used outdoors with a suitable windgag.
Rycote being perhaps the most famous maker. But they are very expensive so
it would make more sense to start off with a mic better suited anyway.
As regards kick drums many won't use any 'decent' general purpose mic on
them preferring (usually) a moving coil type which will handle a very high
SPL. The ancient AKG D12 is still kept for this specific purpose by some
studios.

Indeed the D12 is still a good mic.
It was used also extensively on vocals (Dusty Springfield etc)
It had a two colour cage. Silver on the front and black on the back.
Due to its pleasing physical appearance it was also popular
on photo shoots. There was a famous sleeve photo of Francoise
Hardy (Ooooh!!) singing on the back of the mic. It was quickly
changed.

The D12 is also very good on brass instruments.

Graham

In article i,
Iain Churches wrote:
As with any mic it *could* be used outdoors with a suitable windgag.
Rycote being perhaps the most famous maker. But they are very
expensive so it would make more sense to start off with a mic better
suited anyway. As regards kick drums many won't use any 'decent'
general purpose mic on them preferring (usually) a moving coil type
which will handle a very high SPL. The ancient AKG D12 is still kept
for this specific purpose by some studios.

Indeed the D12 is still a good mic.
It was used also extensively on vocals (Dusty Springfield etc)
It had a two colour cage. Silver on the front and black on the back.
Due to its pleasing physical appearance it was also popular
on photo shoots. There was a famous sleeve photo of Francoise
Hardy (Ooooh!!) singing on the back of the mic. It was quickly
changed.

I've got a D25 - similar mic but rubber mounted in a frame for boom use.
Probably the most numerous of this range of mics.

As regards pics, the original Reslo ribbon was often showed being used
incorrectly. It's shaped a bit like a small beer can and 'live' on two
'sides'. But photographers seem to prefer the end. Which is very dead like
any ribbon. ;-)

--
*I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Eeyore wrote:
Indeed the D12 is still a good mic.
It was used also extensively on vocals (Dusty Springfield etc)
It had a two colour cage. Silver on the front and black on the back.
Due to its pleasing physical appearance it was also popular
on photo shoots. There was a famous sleeve photo of Francoise
Hardy (Ooooh!!) singing on the back of the mic. It was quickly
changed.

The D12 is also very good on brass instruments.

I've not actually tried one but most would prefer a decent condenser for
the better transient response. Of course you'll need one that can accept
the SPL - if it has a 10 dB pad, switch it in if used close.

Other excellent combination is a 4038 on sax. Quite the most realistic
I've heard.

--
*Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Eeyore wrote:
Indeed the D12 is still a good mic.
It was used also extensively on vocals (Dusty Springfield etc)
It had a two colour cage. Silver on the front and black on the back.
Due to its pleasing physical appearance it was also popular
on photo shoots. There was a famous sleeve photo of Francoise
Hardy (Ooooh!!) singing on the back of the mic. It was quickly
changed.

The D12 is also very good on brass instruments.

I've not actually tried one but most would prefer a decent condenser for
the better transient response. Of course you'll need one that can accept
the SPL - if it has a 10 dB pad, switch it in if used close.

Agreed. I would tend to avoid the D12 in that application. But there
again, it was used for vocals!

Other excellent combination is a 4038 on sax. Quite the most realistic
I've heard.

All a matter of taste, and depending on the saxophone. I like the 87 for
Alto, but 47 on the tenor and baritone. Most saxophone sections need
to have double mics anyway, as they also double clarinet and flute. 84s
are a good choice here.

Iain

Iain Churches wrote:

"Dave Plowman wrote
Eeyore wrote:
Indeed the D12 is still a good mic.
It was used also extensively on vocals (Dusty Springfield etc)
It had a two colour cage. Silver on the front and black on the back.
Due to its pleasing physical appearance it was also popular
on photo shoots. There was a famous sleeve photo of Francoise
Hardy (Ooooh!!) singing on the back of the mic. It was quickly
changed.

The D12 is also very good on brass instruments.

I've not actually tried one but most would prefer a decent condenser for
the better transient response. Of course you'll need one that can accept
the SPL - if it has a 10 dB pad, switch it in if used close.

Agreed. I would tend to avoid the D12 in that application. But there
again, it was used for vocals!

Why would you avoid the D12 in that application ?

The very fact it's widely used for kick drum ilustrates it handles high SPLs
very well.

Graham

"Iain Churches" wrote in message
ti.fi...

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:
OK, thanks for all the interesting and helpful replies - it's put
ribbons nicely into perspective for me. My own ribbon mic is an
'active'
and uses 48V phantom power; I won't be using it out of doors and I
certainly won't be using it with a kick drum!

As with any mic it *could* be used outdoors with a suitable windgag.
Rycote being perhaps the most famous maker. But they are very
expensive so
it would make more sense to start off with a mic better suited
anyway.
As regards kick drums many won't use any 'decent' general purpose mic
on
them preferring (usually) a moving coil type which will handle a very
high
SPL. The ancient AKG D12 is still kept for this specific purpose by
some
studios.

Indeed the D12 is still a good mic.
It was used also extensively on vocals (Dusty Springfield etc)
It had a two colour cage. Silver on the front and black on the back.
Due to its pleasing physical appearance it was also popular
on photo shoots. There was a famous sleeve photo of Francoise
Hardy (Ooooh!!) singing on the back of the mic. It was quickly
changed.


In the recent (overrated IMO) Eastwood movie 'Flags Of Our Fathers' the
old-time mics frequently shown at various points in the flic are almost
always back to front!

This from the 'goofs':

"In the "Bond Tour" scenes involving old-time microphones, only once is
the microphone positioned correctly. When the "Andrews Sisters" vocal
trio sings and the men later speak, the black-and-silver RCA 77 ribbon
microphones are positioned backwards. They should have been rotated 180
degrees, so that the microphones' fronts and tops would tilt slightly
away from the singers/speakers. The same is true for a later scene with
one of the men speaking at a lectern with a large gray Altec
microphone -- it, too, is positioned backwards."

In article ,
Keith G wrote:
This from the 'goofs':

"In the "Bond Tour" scenes involving old-time microphones, only once is
the microphone positioned correctly. When the "Andrews Sisters" vocal
trio sings and the men later speak, the black-and-silver RCA 77 ribbon
microphones are positioned backwards. They should have been rotated 180
degrees, so that the microphones' fronts and tops would tilt slightly
away from the singers/speakers. The same is true for a later scene with
one of the men speaking at a lectern with a large gray Altec
microphone -- it, too, is positioned backwards."

The sad thing is their sound man almost certainly told them they were
doing it wrong but got ignored by the art department.

I worked on a prog once where the plot revolved around unexploded home
made bombs. And hinged on the fact that the timers had been bought in a
bubble pack of four from a DIY store. The ones they showed were - standard
plug in mains timers with synchronous motors. But the bombs which exploded
weren't plugged into the mains...

--
*Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:

I worked on a prog once where the plot revolved around unexploded home
made bombs. And hinged on the fact that the timers had been bought in a
bubble pack of four from a DIY store. The ones they showed were - standard
plug in mains timers with synchronous motors. But the bombs which exploded
weren't plugged into the mains...

Artistic licence?

Iain

"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Iain Churches wrote:

"Dave Plowman wrote
Eeyore wrote:
Indeed the D12 is still a good mic.
It was used also extensively on vocals (Dusty Springfield etc)
It had a two colour cage. Silver on the front and black on the
back.
Due to its pleasing physical appearance it was also popular
on photo shoots. There was a famous sleeve photo of Francoise
Hardy (Ooooh!!) singing on the back of the mic. It was quickly
changed.

The D12 is also very good on brass instruments.

I've not actually tried one but most would prefer a decent condenser
for
the better transient response. Of course you'll need one that can
accept
the SPL - if it has a 10 dB pad, switch it in if used close.

Agreed. I would tend to avoid the D12 in that application. But there
again, it was used for vocals!

Why would you avoid the D12 in that application ?

Just my personal choice. There are better mics, with switchable
attenuators more suited.

The very fact it's widely used for kick drum ilustrates it handles high
SPLs
very well.

Indeed it does. The real reason it is used on BD is because its a fairly
cheap, dispensable mic. Few are willing to use a condenser there. In
the same way the few people use large condensers for drum overheads.
With flailing sticks there is a good chance they will get damaged or at
least dented. Here the AKG C451 family is ideal.

Iain

"Iain Churches" wrote in message
i.fi...

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:

I worked on a prog once where the plot revolved around unexploded
home
made bombs. And hinged on the fact that the timers had been bought in
a
bubble pack of four from a DIY store. The ones they showed were -
standard
plug in mains timers with synchronous motors. But the bombs which
exploded
weren't plugged into the mains...

Artistic licence?


No - either plain sloppiness, pure ignorance on the part of the
programme makers or possibly budget constraints. (Remember when the
Daleks invaded the Earth on a mission to unblock all our sinkwastes?)

This is one of the worst instances of deliberate ****take I have seen in
recent times (heavily edited for brevity before I had the software to
compress video):

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...p%20(Copy).wmv


What was that all about?

Like the thicko public wouldn't *notice* or the Ford Motor Company
really couldn't afford a RHD version of the ad?